Etiquette

ETIQUETTE GUIDE

“Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.”
Henry David Thoreau.

Now look here, proper attire is expected. The term "overdressed" does not exist in our vocabulary. Tweed suits, plus fours, bowties, and jaunty flat caps are all encouraged.

Do your best for the highly-prized Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Woman prizes. Suggested attire: woollen plus fours, harris tweed jackets, fair isle jumpers, alpaca coats, merino wool team jerseys; cycling skirts and perhaps a sporty cycling cape for the ladies, cravats or ties for gentlemen, and a sneaky hip flask of sustenance for afterwards. A small tip: we have found bowler hats a spot more aerodynamic than top hats.

We do our best to avoid inclement weather, but our Fair Isles can sometimes throw a horror in our faces. A full-sized umbrella is difficult on a bicycle, but a sturdy macintosh or cape might not go amiss.

Dust off your vintage velocipede for the ride; prizes awarded for Best Vintage Bicycle. If your bike isn’t quite a classic, try your hand at the Best Decorated Bicycle competition. And of course don’t forget our world-famous Best Moustache prize – open to both men and women, of course.

We stop for a spot of tea along route. Pinky up or pinky down, with milk or with lemon, these are choices each one of us must make for themselves. But the main thing is to not rush one's self. Afternoon tea is one of life's great luxuries.

Of course dining al fresco is an art all of its own, and we encourage you to pack a beautiful picnic basket for our Picnic Break. Dispense with the good silver, but do remember to pop a colourful blanket in the basket!